the arsonist and gunman in western new york and his evil plot to kill firefighters. what police discovered, he left behind a note that is just chilling. >>> later this half hour, avoiding costly problems with the brand new electronics you just unwrapped. our technology editor is here with how to get the best use out of all that gear. >> knowing me, when i open one of those, i'm the first to scratch it, drop it, break it. >>> first, we want to get to some of this news. major damage after strong storms swept through the gulf states. at least three people have died, dozens more are injured from texas to georgia. >> and the news could be getting worse. that storm is moving east with strong winds and snow. winter watches and warnings are posted in 21 states, from texas all the way to maine, including blizzard warnings in seven of those states. our coverage begins with abc's brad wheelis. >> oh, my god, look, that's a tornado. >> reporter: this twister slammed into downtown mobile, alabama, injuring several people. vast swaths of this city were suddenly dark, leaving 17,000 homes and businesses with
